Isn’t it nice to finally see some sunshine? I know I’m enjoying it. The sun inspires me. Tom and I actually got out last night and took a walk.

I also was finally able to spend some time in my garden. Gosh, I wish I were a better gardener! I think I may have cut back some of my bushes a bit too far. I hope not. I guess time, sunshine, and Mother Nature will let me know!

Meanwhile, the process of creating my new painting of the Ship Hotel has begun.

After last week’s newsletter, many of you wrote to me about your experiences with the S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel. Your stories were so much fun to read, and I really appreciate your sharing them with me.  A common thread was that feeling of surprise – driving in the country along the mountain highway, then all of a sudden saying, “What the heck is that?!” For many of you, stopping at the Ship Hotel became a family road-trip tradition on the way to a favorite vacation spot. Some remembered the excitement of watching for the ship or looking through that big telescope up on the top deck.

Your memories, in fact, would be really helpful to me right now. I’m gathering the resources to start on my new Ship Hotel painting, and I have papers and photos strewn all about my office. In the old days, I had to visit the library to look up old photos, but nowadays, Google Images is my jam. I look at everything I can get my hands on to get the best possible sense of what I want to paint. One photo may show the spectacular view to its best advantage, but another photo may give me a little more detail of the sign… Sometimes my compositions are cobbled together from multiple photos.

It sure would be a lot easier to go there and take my own photos, which I typically do every time I paint a new piece.  Unfortunately, the Ship Hotel was lost to arson not long after 9/11, taking away any chance for a new owner to come along and lovingly restore this wonderful bit of Americana.  So in this case, I must use old resources and base the painting on research.

The client who commissioned the project told me that, back in the day, one of his favorite cars was a 1969 Studebaker Avanti. I’ve been trying to find anything I can online, but if you happen to know of anyone who may have one that I could take a look at, it sure would be a big help. The car will be front and center in the painting, so it’s really important that I grasp its essence.

Here’s what I have in mind: Based on old black-and-white photographs, I’ll paint my client’s father entering the car and his mom sitting in the front seat.  The actual photos are really of his dad with friends in a living room and his mom (wearing cat’s-eye glasses!), playing cards with her friends. In another part of the painting, I’ll place my client and his sister with a dark-blue VW that he once owned. It’s my way of personalizing the painting for him and adding real people into my work – I think putting them into my paintings really adds to the story. And of course, I will find a place for Tom!

Once I had my composition in mind, I started with a pencil sketch, about 7 x 9 inches. Then, because the photos are a little difficult to see, I made it into a pen and ink drawing to shore up the detail. Next, I sent it to my client for first approval before translating it into a larger format.

While I’m searching for resources, I’m making other important decisions: What time of day will it be? What will the background look like? What elements do I want to pull forward to showcase, and which ones will I push into the background to support the painting? In the meantime, I can start the actual sketch.  Eventually, my process will be to sketch the entire painting onto a museum-quality pastel board that I will then paint over with my soft pastels.

Stay tuned for the next steps as the painting takes shape! Any thoughts?

P.S. –  My Facebook friends may have seen this story, but I would like to share it with all of you.

Three of my original paintings and my new Jolly Old Elf  book are displayed in the front window of Lee Heckman Custom Framing and Gallery on Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon. I am greatly honored that a few of my clients were willing to donate their pieces. The display will be up in the window for a short while, so if you happen to be in the area, please stop by and see! Lee and Paul are amazing at creating the unique, perfect frames to showcase my art.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

You can tell Valentine’s Day is near because of the huge increase in Facebook posts where our friends are celebrating their spouses.

This week, Tom and I have definitely taken a few strolls down Memory Lane, remembering some of our most epic dates and the restaurants we used to enjoy. So many of them aren’t around anymore, including some of our favorites like Steak and Ale, the Brown Derby and the Red Bull Inn, but especially the Joshua Tree. Oh, how I miss those lovely days of prime rib and sangria… and the prime rib cost only $6.95!

Here’s a funny dating story that Tom probably won’t appreciate, but here goes… 🙂

When we were first dating (I was just a mere girl of 19), one of our favorite dining spots was the Joshua Tree restaurant, just across from South Hills Village. I loved that place and all our wonderful memories that came to be associated with it.  Unfortunately, at that age, I had a condition my doctor called a spastic colon; basically, every time I would get nervous, anxious, or even just happy and excited, I would get physically ill and unable to eat.

Back in those days, I only saw Tom once a month, so naturally I would build up a lot of intense emotions focused on that next date. We would start out our evening sitting down in this beautiful restaurant and ordering our prime rib. But the anticipation of being together on the date would do its work, and by the time my dinner came, I would take one bite and then push my entire dinner across the table over to Tom, with a look on my face that said, “You eat it, Hon. I can’t.”

I’m sure right now you’re thinking, “Now why would Tom have a problem with bonus food?”

Well, another promotion that the Joshua Tree offered was a free carafe of sangria for each diner. I never could drink mine, so Tom got to enjoy my sangria as well as his own.  On one of our dates, by the time we got to the parking lot after dinner, the effects of the extra sangria had inspired Tom to reenact Gene Kelly’s famous scene from “Singin’ in the Rain,” as he sang to me while dancing around and swinging from a parking lot lamppost. I thought it was adorable, and I often wish had a picture of it. (Tom, on the other hand, is grateful that I don’t!)

After 44 years of being together, that night will always be one of my favorite memories of our early times together, remembering how Tom was so endearing, going out of his way to be silly just to make me laugh.

With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, I would love to hear your own favorite stories about you and your Valentine.  Just drop me an email!

Well, the decision has been made. For the first time in 27 years, I’m going to miss the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show.

It’s still up in the air whether the show will happen at all, and after speaking with John DeSantis (owner of the Home and Garden Show), I decided it would be wiser to sit this year out so as not to endanger family members with medical issues.  Being the kind man that he is, John promised to reserve my same space for next year… at least there’s something to get excited about!

It’s hard to believe that it was 27 years ago that I set up my first booth in the old Convention Center. It was just a single booth in among the bathtubs and the windows on the second floor of the three-floor show. I was the only artist there and the only art booth on the second floor. There were a few galleries upstairs, but I was warned in advance that it got pretty hot up there, and most people were tired and grumpy by the time they got that far. So I took my chances on the second floor and hoped people would notice me inbetween the plumbing and home improvement booths.

I remember really going out of my way to get people’s attention… everything from putting balloons up to get people to look my way, to actually dancing in the aisle. I fell in love with the show that first crazy year, and it definitely boosted my career from that time forward.

Back in those early days, friends from our church would come over about a month before the show to help me send out postcards announcing the show, where I would be located, and what was new for that year. Those great friends would address and stamp, while I would practice my cooking for them and make sure they had a good time helping out.

I have so many fond memories of the Home and Garden Show over the years… even the endless prep work and those frantic move-in and move-out days. I will surely miss all of it this year.

February and early March are usually a super busy time for me, entirely consumed with the Home and Garden Show, but this year it looks like I’ll have a lot more free time!  So what I would like to do is to use that time wisely, and I’m thinking about what I can do instead. I’ve already come up with something… so look for an online offer coming soon to your email inbox!

I look forward to connecting with you soon.  Have a good week!

Tonight, I’m focused on taking in the beauty that is all around us – if we just want to see it.

As I write these words, I’m listening to the Inauguration celebration, enjoying the music of very talented artists from all over our great country. Wouldn’t you agree that music has a way of touching our hearts and bringing people together?

I have a good feeling, a sense of hope for this new year.  I think if we all come together and follow the science, we will get COVID under control.  Then we’ll all be able to go out and enjoy the simple things in life and share all that beauty with the people we love.

Sadly, last week we laid Tom’s uncle to rest.  He was a very kind and happy man, and I loved him dearly. Uncle Ron was another victim of the coronavirus; he was the third member of our family to pass from the effects of this dreadful illness.

The loss of another loved one has reminded me to take a look around and appreciate my family, my friends, and my fans.  I am reminded of how eternally grateful I am to have you in my life.  You are my inspiration.

This week – for the first time in two months! – I got back into the studio and started painting again. (It took me almost that long just to clear a path to my easel!)  It seems like every time I spend a lot of time away from my studio, when I do eventually get back to painting, I immediately remember how much I truly love it and how it nourishes my soul.

Right now, I’m working on a private portrait commission. Folks often ask, “Isn’t painting people hard?”  Creating scenes of landmarks, buildings, and such is fun, but actually, painting people has always been my passion, and it has always come easily to me.

Last week I asked your ideas for subjects for my paintings in 2021… and boy, did you send me some great suggestions!  From Pittsburgh views I haven’t gotten to yet, to holiday themes, to everyday memories of special times in our lives that we all can relate to, your ideas are really inspiring my creative brain – please keep them coming!

This weekend we will be saying goodbye to our beautiful Christmas tree, though I wish we could keep it forever!  This tree was our first Douglas fir, and it looks just as peppy as it did when we put it up… actually, maybe even better.

Every morning I turn the lights on, and every night at some point I sit for a while in our living room and just gaze at its beauty. We decorated our tree with Tom’s boyhood ornaments, giving it a very traditional, old-fashioned look and reminding us of happy holidays long ago.

The fir tree’s evergreen branches are a symbol of constancy, faithfulness, and the persistence of tradition. This year, that seemed especially appropriate to me because no matter how crazy the world gets, inside our home, there is peace.

In 2020, we created new traditions as we adapted to life in a pandemic. We saved a lot on gasoline… our hair grew… and we all learned to cook a little better (Tom is very happy about that!). I even lost my pierced ears – they healed shut!

As I look ahead to a new year, I wonder what it will hold. Two weeks in, it hasn’t been very exciting so far!  Mostly I’ve been dealing with the debris left behind after shutting down the Holiday Market early and fulfilling online sales. I’ve also been taking advantage of the good weather in the last few days, spending time outside, cleaning up my gardens and getting some fresh air.

Reviewing my emails over the last couple weeks, I was delighted to hear from several of you who gave my work as gifts this year. Your stories brought tears of joy to my eyes!

So now I would like to hear from you again… I’m heading back to the studio, and my options are open.  What should my next painting look like? What season should I paint? Will there be people in the scene, or will it be a long view? Any ideas?

Today, a friend told me that there is more to my paintings than just the subject. She said that I bring each one to life and give it a story of its own, told through my pastels. It really feels good to get such thoughtful feedback.

What would you like to see me paint in 2021? I would love to get your input and also hear about your own hopes and dreams and goals for the New Year.

Have a great week… and may you feel peace in your heart.

The weather forecast is for seasonal temperatures and sunny skies this weekend, so I hope you have plans to get outdoors!

Tom and I are excited – we’re leaving today for our anniversary weekend trip to Geneva-on-the-Lake – but I’m still sad about missing out on Fort Ligonier Days this year (canceled due to the pandemic).  So while we’ll have fun celebrating our 40th anniversary, I’m still a bit disappointed, as this would have been our 10th year at Fort Ligonier Days.

Ligonier has always been one of my very favorite places in Western Pennsylvania, and I had always dreamed of painting it.  Then one day in 2014, I was looking at old photos (so old they were taken with a film camera!) from way back when I first thought about someday painting this beautiful town. Before I knew it, I was putting the pastel board up on my easel, and I created “Silent Night in Ligonier.”

I think this print perfectly captures the holiday ambiance of this old-fashioned town, sparkling with lights and freshly fallen snow. I even lit up the church for Christmas Eve services. My aim was to pull the viewer into the scene with warmth and saturated pure color.  Though a few things about the “Diamond” have changed in recent years (the bandstand area has been refurbished, etc.), I think my painting expresses the beauty and charm of historic Ligonier.

Like many of my prints, “Silent Night in Ligonier” is also available in a number of products, including a handmade metal ornament and a magnet.

Because we won’t be able to meet face-to-face at Fort Ligonier Days this weekend, I’m offering FREE SHIPPING on everything on my site (except those heavy candles!) from today until Sunday night at midnight. It’s almost like being there… except you don’t have to carry the art all around town with you and get it back to your car!

So take a look at my website and see if anything strikes your fancy!  I look forward to seeing you in person next time.

When I first started painting the nostalgic landmarks of Pittsburgh, I created prints of each of those original paintings. It’s always gratifying when customers discover my early works, but did you know that many of those prints are also available in a different, very affordable format?

Somewhere along the line, I got the idea to make some of my prints into notecards.  They may be small in size, but they still serve as gentle reminders of days gone by.  From views overlooking the Golden Triangle from Mt. Washington to scenes of our city neighborhoods… Kaufmann’s and Horne’s, the old department stores we knew and loved… Kennywood’s coasters and one-of-a-kind attractions like the Carousel and Noah’s Ark… as well as our sports teams and our local universities… these are just a few of the notecards inspired by my paintings.

These mighty little cards have an impact far beyond their small size:

They’ve been sent to loved ones who’ve moved away to remind them of home.

Some folks send out my notecards – especially winter scenes and my Jolly Old Elf series – as their holiday cards to friends, family, and clients.  In fact, for 17 years, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Cancer Society used seasonal images that I donated to create their holiday fundraiser cards to help support cancer research and prevention – a program that raised over $750,000!

Many customers have purchased my notecards as corporate gifts and awards, and they also make great thank-you cards.

I have matted the cards so they’ll fit into any 8 x 10 frame. I’ve also framed them like mini-prints – just perfect for those small, hard to decorate areas of your home.  Some customers use these little framed notecards to accent one of my larger prints and create a themed “memory wall” devoted to Kennywood fun, Pittsburgh sports, or views of the Point.  I love helping them pick out their favorites!

All cards (except for the Santa series) are blank inside, with the story of the painting printed on the back.

This is a great time to stock up for the holidays or as a little “thinking-of-you” gift for a special someone.  And if you would like to order a set of notecards or my Jolly Old Elf holiday cards this week, I will be happy to sign each one in gold on the bottom front for you.

Just click here to go directly to the Notecard/Holiday Card section on my website. 

Ever wonder where magnets come from?  Legend has it that they were first discovered about 4000 years ago in Magnesia in ancient Greece when a shepherd happened to step onto a rock, and the iron nails in his sandals got stuck there.

Magnets have been around for thousands of years and used in many ways, in everything from false eyelashes to watches, from medical devices to entertainment (magicians in Ancient Egypt used them to create the illusion of objects floating in mid-air).  Personally, my favorite way to use magnets is to create “Kitchen Art!”

Magnets are my thing. I have tons of them!  It all started when a fellow artist at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show showed me how he had gotten magnets made of his photographs.

I love the idea of creating your own little mini art gallery on your refrigerator, and I’m definitely not the only one who is a fan of Kitchen Art.  What I like best is when you have young children or grandchildren like I do, you can use my magnets – they’re very strong and pretty to look at! – to display your kids’ artwork.

I hear stories from people who collect my magnets to use in their office space, turning it into a little personal art gallery.  In fact, UPMC just bought 30 of my magnets for their new hires.

Others have used them as thank-you gifts for clients or gifts for family and friends who are Pittsburgh expatriates.  And a new Christmas store that will soon be opening in Monongahela just bought a ton of my Santa magnets!

Another great idea is to enclose a magnet with a holiday card or tuck one into a Christmas stocking.  For instance, one of my clients collected my Kennywood magnets for all of her children as a special little gift on Christmas morning.

The magnet shopping experience on my website just got a makeover!  I used to sell magnet bundles in groups like sports, amusement parks, or Pittsburgh scenes.  Now you can choose your own bundle of any 5 magnets – just pick your favorites and mix and match them any way you like.

Which magnets would be in your Top Five?  Click here to see the entire gallery!

For some reason, my painting “Riding Kennywood’s Auto Race and Train” has been on my mind this week… perhaps because it reminds me of some of my favorite Kennywood memories.

One feature of the painting is a part of the park that’s very special to me, and it’s not even a ride! Each spring, I eagerly look forward to seeing the flower clock – with all the rides and people and noise, it just feels like a breath of freshness. I suppose it’s the gardener in me. I love the flowers and how each year they design the clock differently.

Why did I decide to paint the Auto Race instead of a more prominent ride? Truth be told, it’s actually my favorite ride in the park. I loved riding with my girls when they were young. The old-fashioned wooden track and retro cars were charming, the ride was fast and exhilarating, and we loved waving to Daddy.

I couldn’t wait until last year when my granddaughter was finally old enough to ride, and I could ride it again with her. Maybe next year I can ride it two more times – one with each of the twins!

I also have many precious memories of riding the train, formerly known as the Olde Kennywood Railroad. That little train with the fabulous river view (and a local history lesson as well – there were even Revolutionary War soldiers!) was my “Old Reliable” – when I was pregnant and couldn’t ride much else, it was my go-to ride. I loved seeing the history of Pittsburgh’s steel industry, with the US Steel Edgar Thomson works just across the river and the old Joe Magarac statue, standing so tall and mighty. It was especially lovely to ride at twilight – the magnificent view with the lights shimmering on the river was breathtaking.

But one of my favorite parts of the train ride was “Laffin’ Sal” – a rather creepy mechanical woman with a crazed raucous laugh. At that time, Sal occupied the “ticket office” at the train station, but over the years, she has been placed at various attractions around the park.

I think she was my favorite because of a story Tom told me – when he was a little boy, Sal was located right by the entrance. Her manic laugh scared the pants off poor little Tommy, and he would get away from her as fast as he could, silently shaking in his boots. So as a bit of a tease, I took great joy in painting her into the piece. Sal has moved to the Penny Arcade now, but some still say she’s the scariest attraction in the park!

If you look in the background, you can also see the park’s mascot, Kenny Kangaroo. I made sure to place Kenny in my Kennywood paintings whenever I could. I’ve gotten to know a couple of the park employees who played Kenny over the years, and it’s always a pleasure to talk with them. They certainly have some stories to tell!

As usual, a number of people served as models for “Riding Kennywood’s Auto Race and Train,” including someone very special who has recently passed away. Fred Weber, Kennywood’s maintenance chief, was one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. He was a fatherly type who knew how to keep the coasters soaring (and the trains running on time!). Fred had retired not long before I created this painting (I had photographed him walking near the train with his daughter the previous summer). As he rests from his labors, I like to think that I have celebrated his life and friendship in this particular painting.

“Riding Kennywood’s Auto Race and Train” is one of only two originals from the Kennywood series that I still have here in my home gallery. I get to enjoy them myself until they’re sold. When anyone asks, I tell them my originals live on my walls until they find a happy home. Some I get to keep longer than others; I make no apologies!

The framing is exquisite on this one, too. I like to think about how this painting will be around for centuries. It won’t fade or crack like oils often do, though the painting is pure pigment, the same that is in oils. Of course, the prints are beautiful, too! But there’s something about originals… they just have a special look about them.